1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for treating the outer contour of a worm conveyor, which is rotatably positioned about its axis of rotation, and is connected with a rotary drive, with a non-rotating treatment tool, which is applicable to the outer contour of the worm coils or helices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to provide the worm conveyor to an accurately measured outer diameter, it is known to produce the worm first with an excess diameter and then to grind off the excess. For this purpose, the worm is mounted at both ends and set in rotation. A grinding tool is then applied to the outer edges of the worm coils or helices and the excess is ground off little by little, and indeed for as long as necessary until the worm has the finished measurement. Finally, the resulting grinding hairs or burrs must still be ground away in a single operative step. It is understood that as a result, this manner of operation has a number of disadvantages. The grinding off of the excess in the case of threaded worm sizes takes several days or even weeks, particularly if the worm coils to be ground to finished size for example have a hard metal layer on their thrust sides. If the coils also have at their outer face surfaces a hard metal coating, then the latter is ground away in undesired manner. The wear on the grinding tool is high. All in all, the treatment costs, in the case of the known methods of production of accurately dimensioned worms, are very high.